Significant IUGR and no liquor at 28weeks

[bushymcbush]

Help. As title, but with added complication of previously enlarged ventricles in baby's brain. Ventricles are now normal and rest of anatomy looks normal, but baby is tiny and not growing at all. Also learned today that there is no measurable liquid around the baby.

Doctors are being vague about the prognosis - seems to range from the baby dying in utero, through premature birth and breathing difficulties, and a chromosomal abnormality, to a normal delivery of a very small but perfect baby. This last possibility seems to be the least likely in the doctor's mind.

Does anyone have similar experience to share? I'm sick with worry.

What is CTG monitoring?

What is symmetrical / asymmetrical IUGR?

Not hospitalised. Should I be?

No one mentioned steroids.

Blood pressure was fine last week.

I'm not a medic just a mum but-CTG monitoring is the belt they put on to monitor baby's heart rate.

A/Symmetrical IUGR is when they look at how different parts are growing I think. For example some babies favour brain growth over other areas so their heads might be bigger than tummies.

Steroids are used to mature the lungs of a prem baby before birth but only work for a limited time so are given close ish to delivery.

As long as you are closely monitored you don't necessarily need hospital.

Hope that helps. Ask away if I can help with anything else.

CTG is the machine they strap around you to measure the baby's heartbeat. It can give an indication if there is fetal distress. I had it done 3 times a day when I was hospital.

Symmetrical - the growth is symmetrically slower all over the body and head. Asymmetrical - the head measures about what it should for dates while the body lags behind.

I don't know if you should be hospitalised. Maybe I just was because of my blood pressure but I spent 6 weeks in hospital before having ds. Basically I was told by the mw - bed rest, I shouldn't even be walking to the hospital shop but lying on my left side and trying to build up ds as much as I could.

I'm really quite shocked that no-one has mentioned steroid injections to you yet however. If there is a chance of a prem baby you should be given them straight away to help with lung development.

Strangely enough ds was found to have a chromosome disorder at 2 years of age although afaik it has nothing to do with IUGR as it is a sex chromosome disorder.

I was 38 wks with dd2 when they realised there was no water and probably hadn't been since I was 20 odd weeks. As soon as it was picked up I was induced. She was the size of a 30 wk old - 3lb 14oz and had no problems other than talipes which were corrected by the time she was 2 months old.

I was told that if it had been picked up at 32 wks then they would've still got her out as it's safer for them to be out than in with no water.

I definitely think you should go back and ask about steroids etc. Hope it all goes well. x

Willbean I feel hugely encouraged by your story, having such a tiny baby pull through. Thank you so much.

I will certainly mention steroids when I go in next week.

You lot are fantastic, you are.

Hi Bushy so sorry to read this. Best of luck for you! DD wasn't IUGR but was born at 28 weeks (well, 27+6) after my waters diminishing weeks earlier. DD is now 18 months and has minor development delays so otherwise is a perfect little button!
Definitely ask about steroids; they give two injection which I think are 24 hours (?) apart to help. If they do think your baby might be prem, it might be worth asking for a tour of the Special care (SCBU) unit so that it is minorly less of a shock. www.bliss.org.uk have some amazingly helpful literature that you can read/download and also have a messageboard full of stories and questions you can ask! Also dear old MN has a board for premature birth which has lots of reassuring stories.
Your doctors sounds very insensitive and negative! IME the doctors are normally very blunt and pessimistic. Many parents I met on neonatal were given prognosises that their child might not pull through or be severly disabled: out of people I know, it has not been the case for any!
Come on baby!!!

Glad it helped

If there is one thing I learned from DS's early days, it is trust your instincts. If you think something's not right, or you feel fewer movements, I would go straight in. Hope things get better.

As a midwife said to me one night when I got really upset 'once your incubator fails, you've done your best but it's time for the outside one to take over'. I still think it was a lovely thing for her to say to this day.

bushy the one thing to rest sure and certain all those little tiny babies come out the biggest fighters. It truly is awesome and humbling.
Best wishes to you and your LO x

Good luck to you, bushy. Completely agree with the others who have said to trust your own instincts and go back to the hospital if you feel anything is not right. A week is a looooooooong time - for your sanity, if nothing else. Take care x

agree totally about visiting scbu in advance, it really REALLY helped me and dh. although in the event she was only in for a night or two.

If there is little/no liquor, then the baby cannot "practice" breathing by the circulation of amniotic fluid through the lungs, which can lead to compromised development. I suspect that they will want to monitor this. I think it is often associated with kidney problems too, so that is something else to monitor.

It sounds like they might not yet be able to tell what they're dealing with.

I'll be watching this thread and wishing you all the best.

Just want to thank you all for your kind words. I have no further news. Feeling movement as normal today.

Do you think I should ask for CTG monitoring? What does that involve?

If I think there is a problem such as reduced movement, where should I go? My local maternity services referred me to the nearest city hospital for monitoring of the problems (because they have a bigger fetal medicine department and better scanning equipment) and therefore I go to the city for my scans / check ups. But my local hospital has ante natal wards / day units. So I'm really not sure which one I'd go to or even who I'd ring in the first instance.

Sorry to ask such fundamental questions. In my first pregnancy, I saw no one but the community midwife and never had any reason to call anyone for help. So I'm a bit clueless.

I will update this thread as things unfold.

oh love, you HAVE to ring someone in the morning and get talked through this. the communication has been chronic here. if i was you i'd call the city hospital in the morning and ask for your consultant's secretary. they know how to get someone to ring you back.

bushy: I've been wondering how you're getting on. Have you been able to get hold of someone in your consultant's firm? I hope you have been seen/monitored and that things are a bit clearer.

Ah bless you Edith for asking. I have an appointment on Weds. Feeling very strong and regular kicks all weekend so I haven't felt the need for monitoring, but if I notice any changes I will be straight there.

I did manage to speak to my local hospital ANC on the phone today to clarify whose patient I am and they said they are happy for my care to continue under the city hospital as they know my history in detail now. I also rang my community midwife to request a home visit, just so I can talk things through properly.

I will update after my appt on Weds. I swear my bump looks and feels bigger today. (hopeful.)

Just wishing you well for the appointment today. Hope there is better news.

I had good news today. Baby has grown a bit (although still tiny for dates) and estates weight is now just under 2lb. And there was fluid around it - on a normal scale of 5 - 20, the fluid was 8, so low normal.

Can't even begin to express how relieved we feel today. Last week we had the impression that we may very well lose the baby. This week - we have lots of hope.

Thanks again to all who took time to post when I was at my mist vulnerable. You really helped.

estimated weight
most vulnerable

I am so glad you've had better news today, and I hope you both keep growing and everything goes smoothly.

Good news indeed.

Hi bushy, it's brilliant that the baby is still growing, I'm so glad you had good news. I have been thinking about you.

Really good news Bushy.

sounds like things are improving for your baby. I've got low amnio fluid ( between 1 to 2) and my best frield keeps telling me of so many success stories of babies being born after 24 weeks and doing well.
Hope baby continues to keep growing and stay in you as long as possible, each day and each week helps. All the best.

Best of luck to you too mrsallcock. How many weeks are you now? Is your baby doing ok otherwise?